Christmas 1951

Christmas is a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
It is celebrated every year on December 25 with the exception of some Eastern
churches which use the older Julian calendar.
Nowadays Christmas is also celebrated by a large number of non-Christian people around the world as
a cultural event.
In many countries it is a public holiday.
As of 1870 Christmas is observed in the United States as a federal holiday.

A period of waiting and preparation before Christmas is called the "Advent
Season". In most churches it starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.

Customs and traditions

Due to its long history and the enormous popularity there are countless customs
and traditions associated with Christmas. Some of them are well-known throughout
the world, while the other are limited to specific countries and regions.
The most popular involve Christmas Tree and special decorations like Advent wreaths,
mistletoe, representations of Nativity scene and colorful lights.
Family gatherings, special meals, singing Christmas carols and gift-giving are
also an inseparable part of Christmas.
And we cannot forget about the figure of Santa Claus who brings gifts to the
well-behaved children on Christmas Eve.

Date

Bible does not mention a specific date for Jesus' birth [1]. Most historians
believe he was born in the spring, hence the description of shepherds herding
animals. The date of December 25 for the Feast of the Nativity was set by the
Western Christian Church (Pope Julius I) by the early-to-mid 4th century. It
coincided with the pagan celebrations of the birthday of Mithra in the Roman
cult of Mithraism. The date of December 25 is also close to the date of winter
solstice which was celebrated in many European pagan cultures.

Christmas Tree

Modern Christmas tree tradition can be traced back to 16th-century Germany with
the first documented Christmas tree found on the sculpture of a private home in
Alsace (then part of Germany, today France), dating 1576 [3]. In the United
States, the first Christmas trees appeared in Strasbourg (Pennsylvania) in the 17th
century with the arrival of German immigrants. The custom spread across the
country in the second half of 19th century [2].